Last week’s challenge — “A Game Of Aspects” — was so cool and so weird (and is still ongoing until noon) that I thought it was high-time to do another one. Or, at least, a similar one.

Once again, we’ve got three categories.

Slightly different this time:

Again, Subgenre.

Then: Setting!

Then: Element to Include.

We’ll leave theme/motif/conflict off the table for the time being, since some of these settings and included elements will have conflicts implicit.

This time, there’s a different prize.

Interested in attending the Crossroads Writers Conference in Macon, GA? October 5th through the 7th? Where I am, in fact, a speaker? (Who the hell let that happen?)

Well, I’m giving away — courtesy of the conference —

THE WORDSMITH MEGASUPREME PACKAGE.

Ahem. You get:

The full day of the Saturday conference with the Keynote Lunch, a swank room at the Marriott City Center, after hours access to Crossroads HQ, a T-shirt, a 2GB pre-loaded USB, a Crossroads travel mug, wristband, a reception on Saturday night and brunch on Sunday, plus they’ll throw in an extra night at the hotel (total of two) and a free pass to the Freelancers Summit on Friday.

Then there will be two runners up who can nab: a Pen & Paper registration package, which includes access to the Saturday conference, a Crossroads T-shirt and Keynote Lunch.

Further questions can be dropped into the comments or emailed to Chris -@- CrossroadsWriters.org.

Now, you can still participate in the challenge without throwing your name into the prize hat — after all, the prize won’t be useful to people who can’t make it to Georgia on those dates, right? Right. So, when posting your entry in the comments, please note whether you’re submitting to be included in the prize draw (which will be a random draw of those participating). If you don’t note your interest, I’ll assume you’re not.

If you know people who might like to take advantage of the potential prize, please send ’em here.

To play, you gotta write a story.

1000 words.

Host at your blog or online space.

Link back here.

Again, you can still participate in the flash fiction challenge without throwing your name into the prize hat, but the reverse is not true — you cannot throw your name into the prize hat without first participating in the flash fiction challenge. Dig? Dig.

You’ve got one week. Due by Friday, September 21st, noon EST.

Now, onto the categories:

Again, the coolest way to play this is to either roll a d10 for each category or to choose a random number between 1-10 using an online random number generator such as the one found at Random.org.

One from each, then write.

The categories:

Subgenre

Paranormal Romance

Cyberpunk

Splatterpunk

Ghost Story

Space Opera

Alternative History

Lovecraftian

BDSM Erotica

Murder Mystery

Superhero

Setting

A Brothel

A Space Station

Bottom of the Ocean

Inside a Massively-Multiplayer Game

Wal-Mart

Hell

The Hollow Earth

The Zoo

In a Vehicle Traveling Down the Highway

Paris, 1944

Element to Include

Weapons of Mass Destruction

A Funeral

Adultery

A Robot

Amnesia

A Fashion Show

A Dragon

Some Kind of Alien Virus or Parasite

Tattoos

Cloning

Share this:

Like this:

89 Comments

All right, all right. Let’s admit it. I’m lousy at keeping to the right length.

I wrote one story for this prompt and it turned in at over 2,000 words and I want to find a magazine which will take it. So I started again with a different set of aspect choices (deliberately picked, this time).

And ended up writing nearly 1,900 words which I don’t really feel I can trim, so I’m disqualified (and couldn’t use the prize anyway). But this time I’ll link to it. It’s called “The Quickening” and you’ll quickly pick which aspects 2 + 3 I chose. Aspect 1 is a bit sloppy, maybe “Lovecraftian”?

So, yeah, I got Cyberpunk, 1944 France, and Alien Virus/Parasite. Thank goodness the drawing isn’t based on quality. And, like Elizabeth, I’m fairly close to the conference and wound up not registering because of a lack of funds. So, I’m definitely entering for the drawing. Best of luck to everyone.

[…] early, and I had to write something, you guys. Photo prompt via io9. I also used LAST WEEK’s TerribleMinds’ A Game of Aspects (I got Cyberpunk; Paris, 1944; and A Dragon) as well as this week’s 3WordWednesday prompts […]